Long-lasting marriages: Similar people, not opposites, attract

William Atkins
Monday, 11 August 2008 20:23

Science - Biology

Their conclusions found that people choose their marriage partners based on “agreeableness,” “conscientiousness,” and “openness.”

However, according to Rammstedt and Schupp, these people did not choose their spouse based on “extroversion” and “emotional stability.”

In addition, as the marriage progressed, the researchers found that the three personality traits with a high congruence actually increased in similarity over the years.

The researchers concluded that marriages whose partners had similar levels of “agreeableness” and “conscientiousness” were more likely to have successful marriages and were more likely to remain married.

However, couples who differed greatly with respect to the two factors of “agreeableness” and “conscientiousness” were more likely to separate and/or divorce.